Method of and means for directing and accumulating strand material



June 27, 1933. M. o. SCHUR TING STRAND MATERIAL METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR DIRECTING AND ACCUMULA Filed Dec. 22, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 27, 1933. M. o. SCHUR 1,915,451

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR DIRECTING AND ACCUMULATING STRAND MATERIAL Filed Dec. 22, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M L/ "I,

i 3 rect it from the Patented June 27,

UNITED STATES PATENT orrica.

uniron' 0. some, or 3mm, rmiw HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOB T BROWN comm,

0E BERLIN, NEW HAMPSHIRE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE METHOD OF AND HEARS FOB DIIB'ECTING AND ACCUHULATING STRAND MATERIAL Application filed December 22, 1989. Serial No. 504,029.

Ihis invention relates to a method of and means for directing and accumulating strand g material, especially in those instances where such strand material is being fabricated continuously at a high rate of speed and where such strand material is so light that when allowed to proceed unsupported through the atmosphere from thefabricating means to an accumulator, air currents tend to misdidesired course. In accordance with the present invention, continuous strand material of the character described is directed from the fabricating means through an atmospheric gap to an ac- 35' cumulator in a confined stream of gaseous medium flowing to the accumulator. While not restricted thereto, the principles of my invention are especially appllcable to line strands of fibrous material, for instance, strands of waterlaid, interfelted fiber designed for intertwisting into yarns or twmes. Such strands may be made by rolling narrow ribbons of wet pulp formed on machincry of the papermaking type into round bodies or rovings. In actual practice, a large number of ribbons are deposited from an aqueous suspension of pulp in closely spaced relationship on a wire cloth, and the .wet ribbons are rolled to round form, preferably while they are supported on the cloth. A serious problem heretofore encountered in this field of manufacture was the accumulation of a large number of tender strands without breaking them and without entan ling them with one another as they procee at high speed from the fabrlcating mechanism through an air gap to suitable accumulators. The solution of this problem was especially perplexing because of the high speed at which it is desired to produce the strands, their tendency to cling to solid objects, such as guide rolls, w1th which they contact, and their uncertainty of dlrection when disturbed b air currents. The problem is rendered urther troublesome when, as is the case in practical operation, the space which separates the ribbons of pulp on the fabricating mechanism is much less than the space occupied by the accumulator necessary .ior each strand. In fact, it is the Cusmass,

- The stream tom to arrange the accumulators in stagered relation in order to avoid an impractical tandem arrangement of the accumula tors ina line many times the width of the fabricating mechanism. Such staggering of the accumulators, however, means that the strands must be led in difierent directions to the accumulators, and further that these directions of travel must be controlled in order to avoid snarls between the strands or catching on the accumulators. By applying my invention, it becomes possible to control the direction of the strands as desired, as each strand is surrounded by a confined stream of gaseous medium directing itv positively to the accumulator to which it is intended to proceed. I prefer to produce a confined stream of gaseous medium flowin to the accumulator in a tube or duct of sma 1 diameter having a strand-inlet and adjacent to the locality at which the strand leaves the strandforming mechanism and having a strandoutlet end adjacent to the accumulator. The strand-inlet end is preferably under suction, so that the. strand is sucked into the stream of gaseous medium immediately upon leaving the strand-forming mechanism, and is continuously carried to the accumulator as it is being produced. The strand is preferably accumulated or collected in a centrifugal can or so-called spinning pot similar to that used in the accumulation of rayon yarn as it .comes from spinning machines. spinning pot is advantageous, in that the tender strand is automatically deposited on the wall of the pot at the same rate as it is being fed thereinto, with little if any danger of breakage, and is wound into an annular front-which it may later be progressively unwound :tor twisting and plying with similar strand material. When a spinning pot is used the desired suction at the strand inlet end 01% the strand-directing tube may be conveniently generated as by an air jet arranged to blow past the strand-inlet end.

of air and the strand material carried thereby may be led immediately adjacent to or into the spinning pot.

With these and other features and objects in view, I shall now describe my invention 0 in conjunction with the accompanying drawin s, wherein igure 1 shows diagrammatically and conventionally a fragmentary plan viewiof a strand-forming'mechanism used in making strands of waterlaid, interfelted 'fiber and the I -ype ofstrand-directing and stran -accumulating unit. g 1

Figure 3 is a vertical section through the suction orintake end of a strand-d1rectmg tube.

\ Figure 4 is a'similar section through the discharge end of a strand-directing tube.

Figures 5 and .6 are views similar to Figure 2, but showing difierent types of stran accumulators.

Figure 7 shows a modifieddischarge-end construction of strand-directing tube.

Figure 8 shows still another ischarge-end construction of strand-directing tube.

In Figure 1, I have, for convenience-of 11- -lustration, shown the ribbons of pulp r being pension. Before being carried by an endless, wire gauze 1, at rather widely spaced intervals, so that after they have been rolled into strands, they may be directed inparallelism to a series of SPID- ning pots 2 arranged in tandem. In actual practlce, however, where therlbbons of pul are separated only, say, to A o'f an me to lend capacity to the machine, and where the pots are many times this distance in diameter, it is necessary to stagger the pots m order to avoid a line of ots of inordinate length. It should there ore be understpod that my drawings are not intended for working purposes in the sense that they give proper relative sizes or distances, butare good pictorial representations of my invention.

The ribbons (if pulp carried by the wire gauze are wet, as they have been deposited and interfelted thereon from a dilute aqueous susdelivered to the pots, they are rolled while wet into fine strands or rovlngs by suitable means. As shown, the.

gauze passes 'over the guide roll downwardly almost in a vertical direction to a guide roll 4, from which it proceedsto the same source whence it came. While the pulp ribbons are on the stretch of gauze 1a between the rolls 3 and 4, they are rolled out and removed from the gauze, so that the gauze may return to the pulp-depositing station (not shown), where pulp fibers are contin ously being laid down thereon from aqueous suspension. The rolling or,rov1ng means shown is an endless belt 5 supported on a pair of spaced rolls 6 and whose outer face 5a makes contact with the stretch of gauze 1a. The rolls 6are arranged .at an angle to the horizontal, whereas the rolls 3 and 4 are hori-' zontally disposed, so that the belt travels at an angle relative to the direction of -travel angular motion bethe gauze. The relative tween the con surfaces causes ro out of the ulp ribbons on the gauze into fine, round 'es or strands of quite weak as theyemerl-ge, still moist, from between the movlng su aces. Each round body or "strand 0 is sucked immediately after release into a horizontal intake end'7 .of a,

relatively ong,.strand-directing tube 8 leading to a s inning pot'2. Preferably, as shown in Fi 2, a rotating guide roll 9 is-arra directly under the lower roll 6 to receive the strand immediately, after its release, and to carry itsend near the suction created at the intake end 7. immediately to be drawn into the directin tube 8, the stream of air flowing in the vtu pulp, which are This causes the strand.

serv ng to conveyv the strand to its desired destinyhorizontal intake end 7 ofthe strand-direct The strand is conducted from themgotube, downwardly through a vertical section 8a, thence horizontally through a horizontal section 8b, and finally downwardly through a vertical discharge section 80 into the spinnin t 2. The tube 8"might obviousl be 7 hibned to direct the strand by any 0t er suitable course to the accumulating pot. The vertical section 80 is, as best shown "in Figure 3, preferably extended beyond the horizontal intake end 7 and contracted against a ndzzle 10 which projects into the vertical section and delivers a jet of air under suitable su r-atniospheric pressure ast the intake en so as to create the desired suction thereat air to flow through the tube 8. The vertical discharge section 8c is preferably flared at its and thus' to cause a stream of delivery end 80, so asto inhibit any tendency of the-strand-winding about this as to guide the strand more closely to the spinning pot against which it is thrown by centrifugal action as the pot spins, at high speed, If desired, the section 80 may be oscillated to cause the delivery endto traverse the height of the pot and thus to form an annular mass of strand material in the h a horizontal ar 11 aflixed to the section 80 and which may be oscillated by suitable means (not shown). One or more pieces of flexible rubber tubing t may be used in the tube 8, which may*otherwise convenientl be made ofglass, topermit' oscillation. I desired, the pot 2, rather than may be oscillated vertically to effect the winding of the strand as an annular mass therein. An important advantage possessed by the embodiment of my invention thus far described is that the collection of the strands may be carried out with the common type of spinning pot under atmospheric pressure.

In F1gure 5 I have shown. a modification in which, rather than using an air jet for creating a suctiomat the intakeend 12 of inner wall of the end and so the section 80,

tact. Tothis end, I have shown the strand-directing tube 13, I obtain the desired efi'ect by conducting the strand through the tube 13 into a stationary container 14, which is constantly being evacuated by a tube 15 leading therefrom to'a vacuum pump or vacuum chamber (not shown). The container 14 being closed, other than communicating with the evacuating means by the tube 15 and w'th the atmosphere by the tube 13, produces a suction at the intake end .12, wherefore a stream of air is caused to flow through the tube to serve as a-.positive carrying vehicle for the strand.

The modification shown in Figure 6 is similar to that shown in Figure '5, except that the accumulator is aspinning pot l6 rotating within a closed housing 17 having a removable cover 18 suitably clamped thereto. he cover is shown provided with glands 19 and suitable packing material 20 through which the strand-directing tube 13 and the air evacuator tube 15 pass-into the housing 17. The housing may be made of suflicient height to permit the vertical oscillation by suitable means (not shown) of the pot requisite for forming therein an annular mass of strand material.

For convenience in changing pots without much interruption in the accumulation of the strand material, as shown in Figure 7 the discharge end 21 of the strand-directing tube may be received in a suitable elbow 22, which, after one pot 23 has collected a proper quantity of material, may be quickly turned or switched to feed into another pot 24.

When the strand-directing tube discharges into a pot under atmospheric pressure, as is the case with the apparatus shown in Figures 2 and 7, the delivery end of the tube may be porous or erforated to reduce turbulence or eddying 0 air in the pot and also to reduce the resistance or back-pressure. Excellent results are obtained if, as shown in Figure 8, the strand is blown from the stranddirecting tube 25 into the centrifuge pot 26, through a perforated tube or can 27 of much smaller diameter than the pot and which is oscillated by an arm 28 up and down in line with the axis of the pot. In such case, the strand rotates within the oscillating tube, and hence a certain degree of further rolling or roving may be effected within the can. In actual practice, the strand-directing tube may be, say inch in diameter, and the oscillating can, say, inch in diameter and 10 inches long. The centrifuge pot may be, say, 10 inches in diameter by 4 inches deep, and make 3000 R. P. M., with the strand material being delivered thereinto at the rate of, say, 400 feet per minute. These figures are given only by way of example and may be varied from widely.

In the foregoing description, I have used the expression strand material as connoting a pulp ribbon in rolled-out condition, but

it is obvious that mymethod is applicable to strips or ribbons which in being directed to an accumulator present diflicultiessimilar to those encountered with strand material. In making strands intended for interplying into yarns or string, it Is generally preferable to roll out the moist pulp ribbons before they are accumulated, but one may also adopt my method when delivering the rib- ,bons, as such, into centrifugal pots being rotated at sufiiciently high rates of speed to effect appreciable twisting and rounding of the ribbons. Hence, the expression strand material as used in-the appended claims is not to be interpreted in a limiting sense, un less the claims so require, but is intended to include ribbons or strips. I have heretofore spoken about directing the strand material through the atmosphere by a confined stream of gaseous medium flowing to the accumulator. I am not using the word confined in the sense that the stream is in absolute confinement, as in some of the embodiments of my invention described, the stream.

is open to the atmosphere at both ends. I am using the word confined in the sense that the stream of gaseous medium is in a tubing or duct which shields it and the strand of material transported thereby from atmospheric disturbances. Gaseous media other than air, e. g., steam or mixtures of steam and air, may be used. If desired, heated air may be used, or the directing-tube may be jacketed with a heating medium which effects a partial or complete drying of the moist strand material as it proceeds to the accumulator.

It is thus seen that my invention solves the problem of directing light, continuous strand material from a locus of support or fixation, from which it proceeds unsupported through the atmosphere, to another locus,

and more especially to an accumulator, separated by a substantial atmospheric gap from the locus of support. In the particular example given in the specification and dealing with fine, moist strands of waterlaid, interfelted fibers, the locus of support is the wire gauze, this support being furnished for the pulp ribbons until after they have been transformed into the fine strands. As already indicated, however, my invention comprehends the removal of the pulp ribbons as such from the wire gauze support, and their conduction directly to an accumulator by the method hereinbefore described.

I claim:

1. Apparatus of theclass described, comprising an endless, wire gauze for carrying a continuous ribbon of wet pulp, means for rollmg said ribbon into a strand while on said gauze, a centrifugal pot into which said strand is directed unsupported through the atmosphere from said gauze, an open-ended duct through which said strand is conducted in its course from said gauze to said pot, and means for creating a flow of gaseous medium through said duct in said strand travels therethrough.

2. The combination, with a centrifugal pot in which a continuous strand is accumulated, of a tube having strand-inlet and strand-outlet ends for directing said strand into said rolling said ribbon into an accumulator to which said strand through sai aseous mepot, means for creatin a flow of irection of dium through said tu e in the travel of said strand, and openings through the wall of said tube at its discharge end to permit the escape of gaseous medium.

3. The combination, with a centrifugal pot in which a continuous strand is accumulated, of an oscillating tube discharging into said pot, a stationary tube having strand-inlet and strand-outlet ends for directing said strand into said oscillating tube, and means for creating a flow of gaseous medium through said stationary tu 4. The combination, with a centrifugal pot in which a continuous strand is accumulated, of a perforated oscillating tube discharging into said pot, a tube having strand-inlet and strand-outlet ends for directing said strand into said oscillating tube, and means for creating a flow of gaseous medium through said directing tube.

5. Apparatus of the class described, comprising an endless, wire gauze for carrying a continuous ribbon of wet pulp, means for a strand while on said gauze, is directed through the atmosphere from said gauze, an open-ended duct through. which said strand is conducted in its course from said gauze to said accumulator, and means for creatin a flow of gaseous medium 5 duct in the direction in which said strand travels therethrough.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

MILTON O. SCHUR.

the direction in which. 

